Master
by RikoJasmine
Summary: When you've wandered the world alone, what do you do when you're offered companionship in exchange for eternal servitude? Is it so wrong then, to fall in love with the one who you belong to, but can never have? ItachiXOC. Follows manga. SPOILERS!
1. Red and White Fans

Author's Note: Hello everyone, this is my first-ever fanfic here. I just wanted to see if my OC had any potential. Read and review, thanks! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Master

"_Someday, he will be yours. Or, rather, you will be his."_

To belong to someone. Hakuma smiled at this as she gazed at the young child grasping his father's hand, standing only a few feet away from her. This boy; he was special. He was beautiful, perfect. He had an adorable face, cuter than any child Hakuma had ever seen. Long, raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail that ran down his small back, and his large, ash-colored eyes glimmered in interest as he leaned over to look into the pond filled with koi of various assorted colors. He laughed as one of the fish made a splash in the water. Hakuma closed her eyes and listened to his angelic voice, high and pure like the tinkling of bells, filled with an innocence only a child possessed. It was bliss, a sound better than any instrument could ever produce.

Finally. She found him.

Hakuma, on the other hand, she could never be as perfect as this child. The young woman wore a pure white kimono, no design whatsoever, and her wide obi was coal black. Her hair matched her kimono, white in color. Deep cobalt blue were her eyes, and they were the only things that distinguished her plain face. There was a hint of a soft pink on her lips, but that didn't count. The only reason why she remained neat was because it was her master's will. He always wanted her to look presentable, and he was the reason why she was here in the first place.

The thought of her master brought her back to think of the child, who was now holding hands with both of his parents, his mother's hand in the left, and his father's in the right. The father was dressed in the uniform of the Konoha Police Force, an obvious shinobi. Hakuma could not help but notice that the mother was pregnant, the bulge of her belly evident through her dress and apron. So the boy was going to be a big brother. Soon, he was going to be called nii-san.

She smiled again, thinking of her own siblings (nine in all, including her), whom she had not seen for a number of years. A feeling of nostalgia welled up within her.

Hakuma followed quietly behind the family, watching the little boy swinging between his parents, laughing with that beautiful voice of his. Hakuma knew she wouldn't be noticed; today, a festival was being held, and she was simply moving along with the flow of the crowd. She wouldn't lose sight of the boy and his family, either. The only thing she truly saw was him. And that red-and-white symbol on his back.

Outside of Hakuma's consciousness, the festival celebrating the end of another war was in full swing. It was evening at the time, brightly colored paper lanterns casting several pools of light from their positions on the overhanging branches of ume trees. Even in the dim lighting, the plum blossom petals were easy to see, partly because the white slivers formed a thin carpet on the well-trodden dirt. Laughing, talking, and music filled the air, and various aromas from the numerous food stands along the path invisibly fought for the visitors' attention. Children chased each other, weaving their way through the crowd with ease. Adults stood in groups, conversing in glad tones and holding small cups of sake, while teenagers were visible loitering behind the stands in the shadows. Decorations of every color imaginable littered the scenery. People carried banners depicting legendary war heroes, incredible creatures such as the ferocious dragon, and, of course, clan symbols.

The family trio stopped at a particular stand, the stand that was practically covered in their fan-shaped clan symbol. Relatives greeted them just as the mother collapsed into a chair, relieved to finally be sitting down. The father whispered into his son's ear. The boy perked up after his father smiled and ruffled his hair, and the child separated from the group. Hakuma assumed that the father had told him to go play. There was a gap in the crowd of people, and in that split second, the boy saw her. Hakuma's breath was caught in her throat as she watched him pick his way through the mass.

"_Someday, he will be yours. Or, rather, you will be his."_

"Hi!" he greeted when he found a place by her side, looking up at her with those ashen eyes. "I saw you earlier at the koi pond!"

Hakuma smiled warmly down at him with the best smile she could give. "I saw you, too," she said to him.

"My name's Itachi. Who're you? I've never seen you before."

_Itachi, _her mind repeated as she looked at his childish face. _Itachi, Itachi, Itachi._

"I'm called Hakuma," she replied. "I am not from Konoha, or the Fire Country. I live a deal away from here."

"Oh, so you're here for the festival then!"

"….Mm-hm."

_I'm here for you._

Itachi motioned behind him at his family. The shadows on his dark kimono shifted as he moved. "That's my family's stand for the festival. We took a part in the war, you know," he explained, seeming very proud of his blood. "I'm a member of the Uchiha Clan."

_He has a reason to be proud._

"Those are my parents," Itachi continued, pointing to his father and mother. "Papa's head of the Konoha Police Force. I've never seen him during a mission, though. He says it's too dangerous for me to be there." The boy's mouth formed a slight pout, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I can watch without getting hurt…" he mumbled to himself.

Hakuma laughed silently to herself, recognizing the traits of a child. She wished she could have been like that at one point in her life. "Well, I'm sure he's just trying to keep you protected. Most likely, you'll be a shinobi like him someday. He probably wants you to enjoy your childhood in safety, until the time comes for you to become a ninja."

The young Uchiha shrugged. "I suppose so," he agreed.

They stood in silence for a time. Hakuma watched the flickering firelight from the lantern above dance across the boy's face, casting his eyes in a warm orange glow. She imagined the Uchiha bloodline limit emerging from those eyes. _The Sharingan. _She glanced away when it morphed into its Mangekyo form in her mind. The sight of it haunted her. Meanwhile, Itachi looked up at the woman standing with him, and wondered why he had come to talk with her in the first place. Curiousity, perhaps.

"My momma, she's gonna have a baby," he said suddenly.

"Really? Are you excited?"

"I dunno," he replied, looking up at the dark sky. The stars were beginning to emerge. "It's kinda weird, you know? To go from an only child to an older sibling?"

"…It is. I have eight brothers and sisters."

Itachi's eyes widened. "Wow," he breathed. "Are you oldest?"

"No," she admitted, "but I am one of the older ones. I haven't seen them for a long time, though."

"How long?"

"…Too long." Hakuma fleetingly thought of her brothers and sisters, their faces, the sound of their voices. All were slowly fading from her memory. The wretching feeling of regret sweeping over her, she looked at Itachi critically for a moment. "Will you protect and care for your younger sibling?"

_Care for him the way I wasn't able to do with my own._

The sudden question seemed to take the boy by surprise, for his eyebrows raised on his forehead. "Um, well, yeah! Of course I would! That's part of the responsibility, right? So I will!"

"That's good," Hakuma whispered, her eyes sofftening. She reached over and touched his forehead briefly with her fingertips. He looked up at her curiously through his eyelashes. She smiled kindly, then glanced up and saw that his parents looking around the crowd for their son. "You better get going," she told him, her hand returning to her side. "Your parents are looking for you."

"Oh. Okay." He turned to leave, but then looked back at her. "….Hakuma-san?"

Hakuma raised her eyebrows, not expecting for him to be formal. _Well, I am an adult, _she thought. _And children are supposed to be respectful to those older than themselves. _But, Itachi didn't know who he was going to be.

She shook her head, her ghostly hair rippling with the motion. "Please, use chan."

"…Well, um, Hakuma-chan….?" He hesitated for a moment, deciding what to say. "...Thank you."

She smiled again, understanding. "You are very welcome, Itachi-kun," she said quietly, then added under her breath, "…_Master__._" Itachi, not hearing the last part, smiled in return before he crossed the strings of people and went back to his parents. Hakuma watched him leave, her heart fluttering.

"_Someday, he will be yours. Or, rather, you will be his."_

With one last glance, the red paper lantern above her head went off with a faint, flickering light, and she disappeared into the darkness.

_One day, that angel of a child will be my god._

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: Okay, I know it seems like it, but Hakuma is _not _a pedophile. It explains why she acts like that in the later chapters. sighs I just hope she's not a Mary Sue or something...


	2. Floating Lotuses

Author's Note: Yay, good reviews! Thank you! I feel all special inside! 3

Anyway, this takes place 8 years after the first chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

………………………………...

Master

_A lotus floating on a running stream never washes away; its roots anchor it to the spot._

Hakuma remembered the festival that had taken place here years ago as she stood before the thick wood gates of Konoha. The lights, the crowds, the smells and the stands, all were long gone. A slight feeling of nostalgia swelled up within her, but she briskly brushed it aside.

She looked down, watching her right foot lift over the thin dirt line made by the gates that separated Konoha from the outside world. A dull _clack _told her that the old-fashioned wooden shoe on her foot connected with the ground. Her other foot followed suit, and she simply stood there for a while.

_I'm in Konoha._

A smile formed on her lips, and with that, she moved forward.

The folds of her white kimono moving with her, Hakuma looked around at Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was certainly colorful; the shingles and walls were shades of red, blue, green, and orange. Flat staircases spiraled around thick tree trunks, and wide, sturdy platforms rested among the branches of the trees. It was rare to see a separate building along the streets, for all the structures were so close together that it seemed like a pair of giant hands smushed them together, side-by-side. People walked along the sidelines, giving Hakuma uninterested glances as they passed. There were no children, so she assumed that class had not yet been dismissed.

She looked up to the high mountainside, where the faces of the Hokages were carved.

_Senju Hashirama…_

Her eyes narrowed as she thought of that name. She shook her head, sighing. Her master and Hashirama had quite the history, but she didn't want to think about that now. There were other things that were more important.

Hakuma had wandered into a segregated area in the village then, and she noticed a long wall with blood red shingles to her right that had an opening with a roof a few meters from where she currently was. Hanging from the roof of the passage were black sheets overlapping white ones, indicating a formal entrance. What interested Hakuma was the symbol printed on the black sheets; a familiar red-and-white fan.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she neared the entrance. Excitement and longing filled her.

_Three feet away._

_Two feet now._

_One foot-!_

She stopped right at the opening and just stood there as she looked in. It looked completely normal at first glance; like a regular group of homes. But the only thing that stood out was-

-_the Uchiha symbol!_

Everywhere she looked, the only thing that Hakuma could see was that symbol. It was everywhere, on long, midnight blue banners, on paper lanterns, painted on the wall, and… on people's backs.

Seeing so many members of the Uchiha clan at once made her feel weak. She gripped the side of the wall to steady herself. It made her both relieved and sick to her stomach to see all of them there. Relieved because she knew that the clan was alive and well, but sick because of the future….

"Excuse me?"

Hakuma looked up suddenly to see who was talking. It was a woman that was sweeping her porch who looked to be at least fifty. Her hair, instead of the solid raven color most Uchiha possessed, was a dark gray, and her face had wrinkles. However, she had a kind appearance, a warm and welcoming smile.

She was an Uchiha, Hakuma knew. And she was speaking. _To her!_

"Y-yes?" Hakuma replied in a small, wavering voice.

"Are you alright, young lady?" she asked, concerned. "You look like you're going to faint."

"Um, uh, I-I… I will be a-alright…" Hakuma answered, bowing to the woman awkwardly. "T-thank you…."

And with that, she hurried away from the Uchiha site. She did not notice a group of academy students on the side of the path who stared curiously after her as she ran. One of the students was a young Uchiha boy who was looking forward to shuriken training with his big brother after school.

After a while, Hakuma got tired, and she stopped on a low red bridge just a few feet above a river. Leaning against the railing, she covered her face with her hands, cheeks burning.

_How embarrassing! _she thought to herself. _How could you humiliate yourself like that in front of an.… an…_ _Uchiha!_

Shamefully shaking her head, she rested her arms on the railing and looked down into the clear blue water below. She watched the lotuses float as small, silver fish zipped nimbly through their stems. The way the roots of the lotuses secured the plants to one place intrigued Hakuma. She could relate herself to them. That feeling of "attachment" was a familiar concept for both.

A sudden feeling sparked in her mind. Hakuma turned her head to the right and began to walk that way, in the direction of that feeling. When she had reached the other side of the bridge, she saw that she was on the Academy grounds. It seemed like classes had just ended. Children, rowdy and loud, were waiting outside for parents to come and pick them up, and teachers milled about, supervising them. However, the feeling that she got wasn't here, but close by…

She spun around and saw a boy sitting in a swing hanging from the thick, overhanging branch of the tree beside him.

_There!_

The boy looked up as she approached him.

"….Youko? Is that you…?" Hakuma asked hopefully.

When she got closer, she could see the features that were obscured by the shadows of the tree from far away. He had scruffy blonde hair, his eyes were a deep cerulean, and his shirt was solid black, with a red spiral in the center, which was right were his stomach would be. But the most curious thing about him was the whisker-like markings on his face.

"I'm not Youko," the boy said quietly, "I'm Naruto."

Hakuma blinked, not expecting that response. She could have sworn that this boy was Youko, she had sensed him, but…

"….Oh. I….I'm sorry, Naruto-san… Forgive me…"

She bowed deeply to him and walked away. Meanwhile, there were whispers spreading throughout the group of children, who had fallen silent when they had seen the mysterious woman speak to Naruto.

"Who was that…?"

"I dunno. But whoever she is, why would she talk to _him_?"

"Nobody talks to _him_."

Naruto sat there, staring at Hakuma's back as she left. "I wonder who she is," he murmured to himself, "And who Youko is…."

Hakuma, at the same time, looked up sadly at the blue skies above her head and watched the puffy cotton clouds drift lazily by. She sighed and returned her sight to look ahead. Her destination was near; the Hokage tower.

"Youko…." she whispered, "My brother, I thought he was you…"

………………………………...

"It amazes me that you're even here," Sarutobi said, looking out the window at his village.

There were five people in the meeting room: Sarutobi (the Third Hokage), Danzo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Hakuma. Hakuma sat away from the others, diverting her eyes and pretending to be captivated by a particular spot on the wall. She hated these people, the leaders of Konoha (except Sarutobi, whom she thought was a kind man). They were the enemy of her master, and therefore her enemy, but the situation she was in called for her to talk to them.

"I am here on my master's whim," she replied.

"Some master you've got there," Danzo muttered. The bandages covering his eye and arm shifted as Hakuma scowled at him. "Anyway, what's really important is what we've come to discuss at present."

"Yes," Homura agreed. He then turned to Hakuma. "You know of the goal of this mission?"

The face of the young child she met long ago appeared in her mind, his ash-colored eyes, that childish smile. He was older now, and he probably looked different, but Hakuma knew that he was still as perfect as he used to be, innocent, an angel on Earth. But she knew that those innocent hands were going to be soaked in blood, and he would be innocent no more.

"Yes," Hakuma answered, her eyes to the ground. "Uchiha Itachi will take this mission, correct?"

"That is right. He's perfect for it."

Hakuma glanced out the window and watched the clouds drift lazily past.

…._I'm so sorry, Itachi-sama. Forgive me…_

………………………………...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Author's Note: Thank you for reading!


	3. Blue Eyes

I'm really sorry this took so long. I haven't been in the mood to write lately. But as I'm writing this, the internet's down, so what else am I supposed to do? XD I hope to update again soon!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

………………………………...

Master

…………

_I dreamed of blue eyes. _

…………

"Hello, dear, how was your day?"

"It was good, Mom. Have you seen Nii-san?"

"Ah, yes, he's out in back."

Sasuke ran down the polished halls, his bare feet making dull thumping noises on the bamboo flooring, eager to get to his older brother. His raven hair flowed behind him as he ran, his dark navy eyes flashing with excitement. He was still just a child, an eight-year-old, giving him an air of purity that most children his age would posses. His black long-sleeved shirt crinkled in certain places as his arms went back and forth in a steady rhythm. On the back of said shirt was a print of a red and white fan.

Feet skidding to a stop when reaching the backyard, the young Uchiha yelled, "Hey, Nii-san! I'm home!"

The boy's older brother turned around. He was at the age of thirteen now, a tall and handsome young teenager. His trademark long ponytail ran down his back, obscuring his clan's symbol down the middle, and his usually sharp eyes softened as he saw his sibling. He returned Sasuke's greeting with a kind smile.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," Itachi replied, turning to face his younger brother fully. "Good class today?"

"Yeah!"

Sasuke hopped down from the walkway and onto one of the large stepping stones leading to a small pond, where Itachi was standing. Smooth, round, white pebbles were scattered around the area, isolating patches of green grass like islands in the ocean. The bamboo water system made a slight tapping noise as it tipped back and forth, penetrating the compatible silence. When the younger of the brothers got close enough, Itachi reached over and poked him in the forehead. Sasuke stumbled back a bit, then rubbed the spot, saying, "What was that for?!"

"Just 'cause."

"Well, stop it, it's annoying," he said, pouting. Itachi laughed quietly as he ruffled Sasuke's dark hair, making it stick out more than it usually did. The younger boy pulled away and smoothed it back down. "You're always treating me like such a kid!"

"….I'm sorry."

"Hey, Nii-san?"

Just then, the pair heard faint knocking on the front door. They heard Mikoto's voice saying, "I'll get it!"

A dark look spread across Itachi's face. "That's odd, Father usually doesn't get back until later…" he murmured to no one in particular. An uncomfortable silence rose.

Sasuke observantly glanced at his older brother. "…Is there something wrong between you and Father?" he asked hesitantly. He had always felt uneasy when his father and brother were in the same room together. There was some tension between them, but Sasuke didn't know why.

The other Uchiha blinked, still staring ahead. "What makes you say that…?"

"Itachi!" Their mother's voice came from inside. "There's someone here at the door to see you!"

Itachi raised his eyebrows and started forward, but then stopped when he heard his brother's voice.

"Nii-san!"

"Hn?"

Sasuke looked down at the ground. Pebbles clinked together as he shuffled his feet awkwardly. "….Um, can we do shuriken training today?" he asked.

Without turning around, Itachi immediately replied, "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, but not today. Maybe some other time…"

As he watched him enter the house, Sasuke's face grew hot. He yelled after his brother, "But you always say that, Nii-san!"

……………………………...

"Hello, Itachi-sama."

Itachi took a brief sweep with his eyes of the person before him. A woman with dark blue eyes and white hair, wearing a simple white kimono with a black obi. Something about her bothered him. The woman was clearly young, and she could have been pretty at one point, but at the same time she seemed so… _old_. Her face, although clear, seemed worn, like a rock dulled by erosion.

As Itachi pondered this, his younger brother had hidden himself behind the wall next to the doorway behind him. Although he was out of hearing range, Sasuke had been curious to find out who had requested the presence of his brother (and therefore ruined his chances of shuriken training), and was annoyed to see that it was a girl, wait, woman. _Maybe one of Itachi's admirers? _He thought to himself. _Isn't she a bit too old for him?_

Unaware of his brother's presence, Itachi raised a coal-colored eyebrow at the woman.

"And you are…?"

She smiled at him then, saying, "I am called Hakuma."

"Well then, Hakuma-san, what brings you here?"

Hakuma seemed startled for a moment. Itachi noticed, but didn't say anything. She composed herself and continued.

"The ANBU have an assignment. I will be working on it alongside you, so they asked me to bring you to them."

Itachi crossed his arms. "If you're working with me, then why can't _you _tell me what this mission is?"

"It is not my place," she stated simply.

"…Very well."

Sasuke, meanwhile, scowled when Itachi stepped outside with the woman and closed the door behind him. He listened to their footsteps fading as they walked away.

_Wonder what she wanted, _he pondered.

Meanwhile, Itachi took a sideways glance at Hakuma with the corner of his eye.

"Have we met before?"

She smiled, but didn't respond.

...


	4. A Single Seed

Author's Note: Um, yeah…. I seriously don't update as often as I should… Sorry about that, guys… Thank you for reading, though.

(Just so you know, the italics in the beginning are a flashback.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

……………………………….....

Master

……………

............

_The seed is planted…_

…………………

.................

"_This…This definitely will not work out, Hakuma…"_

"_How so, Master?"_

_Uchiha Madara gently ran his fingers down the rough wood of the coffin he stood next to. Hakuma watched him as he wrung his head; the Uchiha leader's dark locks falling in his face to obscure those familiar scarlet eyes. The calloused hand resting on the coffin suddenly clenched angrily._

"_How could this have happened?!" Madara demanded, his armor-clad body quaking. His pale servant watched him without expression, tilting her head to the side when she saw her master grind his teeth between sentences. "Where has the hatred between Uchiha and Senju gone? What did my brother die for?!"_

_The sudden truce between the Uchiha clan and their long-time rival, the Senju clan, had shocked Madara. Just when the Uchiha leader's sibling gave up his life to give his brother a more powerful Sharingan to fight with, peace between the two clans emerged. Both clans were exhausted from their constant war and wanted peace._

"_I had no choice but to agree with the rest of the clan's decision," Madara murmured. "I am the only one that opposes the truce. But what everyone else does not realize is that the Senju clan, one way or another, will exterminate the Uchiha someday…"_

_Hakuma moved closer, to stand beside him. "And when will that day be, Madara-sama?" she asked. Her master glanced at her and simply shook his head, defeated._

"_I do not know, Hakuma... I… I do not know…"_

……………………………_.._

_..............................  
_

"You… you want me to….!"

Hakuma watched the young Uchiha sadly, seeing the horror forming in his beautiful eyes. The Hokage and the elders of Konoha stared down upon him from their perch, where they stayed while holding interrogations so that they would be heard clearly (and safe from a surprise attack). Itachi clenched his hands in a way that Hakuma was all too familiar with. The boy was now faced with the impossible decision that was his very destiny to make.

"Yes," Danzo replied. "We want you to destroy the Uchiha clan. After all, only someone with Sharingan would be a match for an Uchiha."

"We know that you want peace," Homura added. "And this is the only way to achieve it! You have already reported that the Uchiha are planning a coup d'etat!"

Itachi, with wide eyes, looked desperately to the Third Hokage for help. Sarutobi's face expressed regret and sadness for the teen. "I have tried to convince them otherwise, but they won't listen to me," he said despondently.

The Uchiha turned back to the Elders, eyes flaring. He demanded, "Is this about the past history between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan?!"

"This is not about old rivalries!" Danzo barked, slamming his hands down on the meeting table. "This is for the village of Konohagakure! This is for the world! You do realize what would happen if we simply allowed the Uchiha clan to achieve their ends?!"

Itachi bit back a retort. Hakuma knew what he was thinking. If the Uchiha _did_ attack Konoha, it would weaken the entire country and leave it vulnerable to attacks from rivaling countries. Even people that had nothing to do with ninjas would get involved. It would start a fourth ninja war.

There was a long silence. Hakuma glanced at Itachi (who was standing beside her in the questioning pit) but could not see his eyes, his hair like a veil covering his face. He shook slightly. Fists clenched, teeth grinding… It reminded her of a scene with her master so long ago.

Suddenly Itachi looked up at the leaders of Konoha. Hakuma held her breath.

"As you wish," he said, eyes narrowed. "I will perform my duty to my village."

…………………………

........................

Hakuma breathed.

…………………………

........................

They were outside now. Itachi, who had not spoken since leaving the Hokage Tower, sat against a tree, staring dejectedly down at the blades of grass poking out of the dark soil. Hakuma stood silently beside him, wishing she could say something, anything at all, to cheer him up. However, she knew such attempts would be pointless and inappropriate to his situation.

"Hakuma…"

The latter looked down at him, surprised at his sudden decision to speak. "Yes, Itachi-sama?" she replied.

"You knew about this mission beforehand, didn't you?"

"I did."

"And earlier… You said you were going to help me."

"I did."

"…And just what would this help be?" he asked.

"I just know someone that could help you, that's all." she replied.

Itachi looked up at her. Hakuma flinched involuntarily when she saw the sadness reflecting in his eyes. Right then, she felt a sharp pang in her chest. It was as if her heart were literally reaching for this boy, to hold him close to her, to comfort him when he needed it… to love him when no one else would be able to…

"Who?" he whispered.

Hakuma gazed up at the rays of light peeking through the leaves of the branches above them. The sun was still high in the sky. She turned back to Itachi and held out her hand to him. He stared at her questioningly.

"There's still time today," she said with a comforting smile. "Come with me."

………………………..

.........................

Hakuma led the Uchiha deep into the forest. The sunlight no longer penetrated the leafy canopy overhead, and the trees got more tightly packed together. Unable to ninja jump from branch to branch to save time, they two picked their way through the forest. Itachi walked behind Hakuma, staring at the back of her head as they went.

"Just who are you?" he asked suddenly.

Hakuma glanced back at him affectionately. "I am Hakuma. Haven't I already said so?"

Itachi's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "You know what I mean."

"I'm afraid that I don't…."

The mysterious white-haired woman turned to face ahead once more, waving her hand in the air as if to dismiss the question. Itachi frowned, annoyed. He knew very well that she knew what he meant, he didn't think she was that stupid, but resolved not to pursue the topic any further. After all, this was a ninja's world. Most people liked to keep the past to themselves, or, at times, as far away as possible.

They walked in silence for a time more, and soon came to face the tall, thick wall that separated Konoha from the rest of the world.

"We must go over," Hakuma told her companion. "The person of interest awaits on the other side."

This was risky for the Uchiha, Hakuma knew, to go out of village boundaries now that his mission had been assigned. It would look suspicious if the spy was seen leaving the village with an unknown person. However, she had scoped out the area ahead of time and found that the area they were in now was not as heavily guarded as the rest of the gate.

"That's fine," Itachi responded. He then glanced at her with an arched eyebrow. "Are you a shinobi? Can you get all the way up there?"

She laughed, surprising him. "A shinobi? Oh, I wouldn't know about that. But I can definitely get over this without a problem." She waved a hand at him like before, dismissing his remark. "You don't need to carry me."

Itachi smirked. In unison, they jumped up into the trees, hopping from branch to branch all the way to the top. Flipping up and over the gate, they landed on a thick branch in another tree on the other side. Itachi stared at Hakuma as she neatened her clothes, wondering just how difficult it was for her to jump like that in a traditional kimono.

She straightened up and said to him, "Come. We are almost there."

Hakuma took off into the trees, Itachi close behind. The Uchiha watched her geta shoes clack against the branches with each stride. He figured that she wore those clothes quite often if she was so practiced in moving in them.

The woman stopped suddenly. Itachi landed beside her. "We're here," she said.

They jumped to the forest floor below. Like before, there was hardly any sunlight to illuminate the darkness between the trees. Hakuma started forward and Itachi made to follow her, but she held her arm out to stop him.

"Just a moment," she whispered to him.

Itachi stayed behind as she walked a few feet out, then bent down to kneel in the grass. The shinobi watched, confused, as Hakuma folded her hands in her lap and touched her forehead to the ground.

"Master," she murmured. "I have returned."

Itachi's eyes widened when a figure emerged from the shadows. He felt that this master of Hakuma's, whoever he was, was incredibly powerful. He could practically feel the man's chakra rolling off him in waves, overwhelming and paralyzing the young Uchiha on the spot.

"Hakuma, get up," the shadow-like man said. "You'll get your kimono dirty."

"Of course, Madara-sama." she replied, obediently standing and brushing the soil off the white fabric.

Itachi's gasp caught in his throat as he came to realization. As he had suspected when examining historical records of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Madara, the first leader of the clan, was alive. He knew that Madara was powerful, and had believed that he had some kind of self-preserving jutsu to keep him alive all these years. It was indeed possible for a great man like him, and Itachi's suspicions were proved correct at this moment.

"Ah, another Uchiha?" Madara said, a hint of bitterness evident in his voice. Although he had a mask with a single eyehole over his face, Itachi knew the man was looking at him. "What brings you here, boy?"

"My name is Uchiha Itachi," the younger answered. "Hakuma brought me to you saying that you could help me with my current mission."

"Did she now?" he murmured. Madara's head lolled to the side to peek at his servant, who stood there returning his gaze. Itachi could not help but think, with the tone of Madara's voice, that he may have caused Hakuma some trouble. "Just because you are willing to help all Uchihas does not mean that I am."

"You have not heard what his mission is," she replied tonelessly. "I have a feeling that you will be interested."

"And what is the basis of this so-called feeling?"

"Your yearning for revenge against the Uchiha and Senju clans."

Madara stilled. As Hakuma expected, her master had not been anticipating that response. He had always been looking for an opportunity for war against one, or if possible both, of the clans that were responsible for driving him out of Konoha. However, he never got the chance. Madara then looked back at the younger Uchiha.

"Well, boy? This better be good, or I'll just kill you here," he grumbled disdainfully. Hakuma frowned, while Itachi steeled himself for the upcoming moment.

"The destruction of the Uchiha clan."

All was silent. Itachi could feel Madara's stare weighing him down, possibly deciding whether to kill him or not. The quietness only heightened the tension, as if squeezing the young Uchiha's heart in his chest. Itachi flinched when Madara suddenly sighed and scratched his head, gloved fingers going through tousled black hair.

"I have to admit," the former Uchiha leader mumbled, "I like that."

"…I thought you might," Hakuma said brightly, a hint of smugness detectable in her voice. Madara, to Itachi's surprise, laughed sheepishly.

"What can I say? You've known me for too long, Hakuma-chan!" he answered conversationally.

Somehow, Itachi felt that all the tension had blown out the window. The dark master-servant feeling between the two seemed to have disappeared, and was replaced by two old friends having a friendly banter. However, Itachi was not feeling the mood.

"In return for allowing you to have revenge against the Uchiha," Itachi continued gravely, "I ask you not to harm the rest of the village."

Master and servant fell silent as Madara turned to look at the younger. Itachi returned his stare confidently. The masked man rubbed his chin in thought, considering the teenage shinobi's proposition.

"Very well, I will take you up on your offer," Madara said finally. He looked up at the canopy above and noticed that the sunlight that had gone through before was no longer there. "We must discuss a plan quickly. The sun is setting."

Hakuma stared on as the two Uchihas began to plan a rebellion against their own clan, her heart clenching tightly in her chest. The inevitable was now here.

……………………………..

.............................

_The day has come, Master._

………………………………

_..............................  
_

End Chapter 4 

Thank you for reading! Review please? ( puppy dog eyes)


	5. The Light

Author's Note: Been forever, eh? The Uchiha massacre is here! I'm not so good at writing fighting scenes, so forgive me if it doesn't make sense. Also, I don't really know Madara's personality, so I just made one up for him that I thought made sense.

(Quote at the beginning is a line from Code Geass R2, 5th opening, World End by FLOW)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

…

Master

…..

…..

_The light born at world's end will illuminate the path for the future._

…_.._

…

Hakuma looked up at the moon. The wind blew wisps of her snowy hair across her forehead as she gazed at the luminous sphere in the night sky. There were a great deal of stars that night, she noticed, so the sky lit up beautifully. The woman closed her cobalt eyes and breathed in the crisp nighttime air, calming her.

"…It all begins tonight," she mused.

"Indeed," her master, Madara, whispered beside her as they stood side-by-side atop the Konoha gate wall. "A new beginning for some, and the end for others…"

His servant sighed wistfully. "It's so sad," she murmured, continuing to stare up at the night sky. "The atmosphere is so marvelous, it's a pity that so much blood will be spilled tonight."

Madara adjusted one of the armored plates on his arm. "The view from this place hasn't changed at all from how I remember it," he said softly. He then turned to her. "Has the sky always been this brilliant?"

"Not always," his companion replied with a gentle laugh. "I've lived a long time, and my memory does tend to be a bit foggy, but I'm sure that the sky has never been as beautiful as tonight."

The Uchiha's gaze lingered on her for a bit longer, then returned to the nighttime horizon. The branches of the tallest trees shifted, and the two were engulfed in the soft moonlight. The brightness glistened off Madara's armor, as well as the silent tears forming in his servant's eyes.

"A pity, indeed…"

….

…

"How are you, Itachi-sama?"

Hakuma gently laid a hand on the young shinobi's shoulder, only for it to be carelessly shrugged off. The Uchiha didn't respond as he continued getting his gear ready for the mission that would change his life forever.

"Of course he's feeling like shit right now, Hakuma," Madara commented casually, standing against the wall of the armory with his arms crossed. "He's getting ready to butcher his entire family. Wouldn't you feel like shit? Of course, that is, if you like them. I, on the other hand, am rather excited."

Itachi looked over his shoulder and shot the older ninja a murderous glare. If he had the power to seriously hurt the man, he definitely would have.

Hakuma bit her bottom lip, uncomfortable with the tension between the Uchiha clan members. Two powerful Sharingan wielders were dangerous when angered, everyone knew that. "To each his own…" she said softly, hoping to calm the situation somewhat. Madara just shrugged.

Itachi suddenly straightened. Madara and Hakuma looked at him questioningly.

"I'm… ready…" he whispered, his back to them.

"Are you, now?" Madara murmured under his breath with a slight chuckle, receiving another glare as a response. Hakuma knew that the older Uchiha was smirking underneath his mask.

Scowling, Itachi turned around abruptly and made for the door, not making eye contact with either of them. "Let's go." he said tonelessly. His partners for the mission followed him outside. Hopping up to the top of the building, they jumped roof to roof to the corner of Konoha that the Uchiha clan had been backed into. It was sad, Hakuma thought, that the mighty Uchiha Clan had been forced into a corner of the village like rats.

"Hakuma," Itachi continued when he noticed that she was still with them. "You're going to… _help_ as well?"

"Ah, yes," the latter responded, her hand moving to cover her heart protectively. "It has been quite some time since my last battle… Madara-sama said that I should get some exercise…"

Itachi glanced briefly at the older Uchiha disdainfully, received a hidden smirk in response, then said, "There have been plenty of opportunities lately to fight, haven't there?"

"Yes," Hakuma replied. "However, I have not been able to partake in them." She smiled sadly. Itachi's eyes followed the movements of her hand as she grasped the front of her kimono a little more tightly. "Old wounds, you see."

"Ah."

Raven ponytail whipping around in the wind as he dropped the subject, Itachi turned to face forward again as they jumped to their destination. Hakuma's grip on her kimono lessened as she watched the boy in front of her in sadness. This was fate, she reminded herself. This was what he was born to do. But still… It was painful to have to watch him go through this horror. Hakuma found that she was actually was glad that she was here with him now, in the time that he would need her the most.

"…Sasuke."

Itachi's voice roused Hakuma from her thoughts. She and Madara landed on the branches of a tree, while Itachi was perched atop a light pole nearby. The moonlight highlighted the ANBU's back.

"Who?"

Hakuma followed the younger Uchiha's now-ruby eyes to the ground below. There was a young boy running through the streets, his tousled hair fluttering in the wind and a school bag bouncing against his hip. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"My little brother," Itachi murmured in barely a whisper.

Hakuma's breath caught in her throat. So that was who Sasuke was, Itachi's younger brother. The woman remembered her first glimpse of him, hiding behind the door when she visited Itachi the other day, and recalled the time when he was still in his mother's womb at the festival all those years ago. She had to admit, the two brothers looked quite alike, but despite that, she was still partial to Itachi. Unfair? Maybe, seeing as she had never interacted with him before. If the boy somehow made it out of this mess alive, although unlikely, she made a guilty mental note to spend some time with him if she ever got the chance.

"So," Madara said quietly, stealthily drawing a kunai, "shall we start with this one?"

Itachi flinched visibly, but quickly answered, "No. I'll deal with him later." He turned his head away from them. "Quickly, before he gets home."

"Psh!" Madara scoffed, re-sheathing his weapon. "It would have been a lot easier to kill him then and there!"

The trio took off then, with Hakuma noting the concern that lined Itachi's voice when he spoke of his younger brother, and leaving a confused Sasuke to wonder what it had been behind him that blocked the light of the moon.

….…..

…..

The to-be assassins landed just beyond the Uchiha clan gate. As far as Hakuma could see, there was no one lingering in the streets after hours. The paths were all clear, the windows of the dwellings were dark, and everything… Everything was silent. Eerily so. An ominous feeling welled up in her chest, and she knew what was soon to occur.

There was a sudden flash of steel, and soon there was a kunai in Itachi's hand that hadn't been there before. He had nimbly caught it out of the air, not fazed by the attack in the slightest.

"Why are you back so late, Itachi-kun?" a voice from the shadows called. Hakuma adverted her eyes to look at the newcomers. A group of Uchiha clan members emerged from the house directly in front of them, fully dressed and appeared ready for battle. Hakuma assumed that they were lookouts.

Noticing her and Madara, one of them said, "Who are they? Are they with you?"

"They are, cousin."

"Did you just come back from a mission? Your Sharingan's still on-"

Hakuma blinked, and suddenly the man was dead, laying on the ground with a kunai through his throat, his mouth gaping and eyes wide in shock. Blood seeping from the wound began to form a glistening puddle of crimson around the body. Meanwhile, Itachi was crouched on the ground in a landing position. The rest of the group stared on in horror.

"Quite the contrary, cousin," Itachi murmured, multiple shuriken appearing between his fingers. "The mission had just begun."

"Call for reinforcements! Itachi has betrayed us!" one of the men hollered just before Madara ran a katana through his chest. Blood splattered onto his mask, red splotches painting the worn orange surface.

The renegade shinobi laughed maniacally, taking down as many as his former comrades as he could get to. "You have no idea how much fun this is!" he exclaimed in a fanatical voice to Hakuma, who stood frozen to the spot, unable to move. "Come on, fight!"

It was hard. Hakuma had pledged her life to serve the Uchiha clan when she met Madara long ago, and now her master was commanding her to kill her respected superiors? True, she only had one specific master at a time, but it was still a difficult request to make. She turned to look at Itachi, who was dueling four of his brethren at the same time. He suddenly glanced at her. The slight sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead, his lips set in a firm, determined line. The same sadness she saw the day before shone in his scarlet eyes. Her pain was nothing compared to his, she realized. Hakuma's heart pounded wildly, and pushing her own personal pain aside, she made a gut decision: she resolved to kill as many as she could, so that Itachi would not have to. She wanted to save him from any unnecessary pain, any superfluous guilt.

The woman looked up at the moon, just barely visible above the trees, when she saw that a few Uchiha were coming toward her with swords drawn. She breathed in sorrowfully, closing her eyes.

_My potential masters, forgive me._

Hakuma searched deep within herself for the chakra that had remained unused for many years. The familiar feeling welled up inside her, built up over time, while a dull throbbing pain resonated from her chest. The ancient wound hindered her, but it was not as bad as she first assumed. Yes, she could unleash this power. She could fight.

_The element of air, obey the one that commands you._

Hardly a moment had passed when Hakuma opened her eyes and slashed the air in front of her in a horizontal line. All at once, the shinobi running towards her were abruptly beheaded. Hakuma's eyes stung with tears as she watched their heads, eyes still wide in bewilderment, tumble to the ground. _Oh, God…_

"What the hell was that? I've never seen that kind of jutsu!"

Brushing their surprise aside, a few more ninja skillfully threw a flurry of shuriken at her that would have confused the normal ninja.

_The element of earth, obey the one that commands you._

The earth at Hakuma's feet erupted and formed a wall, shielding her from the attack. The dirt fell away and she was exposed again.

"Fireball jutsu!"

A trademark technique of the Uchiha clan, she knew. Hakuma saw the flaming sphere come spiraling towards her. For a moment she stood in awe. She could feel the great heat coming closer and closer, the tendrils of fire draining the air of its oxygen, and she imagined that it was God Himself throwing the sun at her. The Uchiha were truly magnificent, she thought to herself as she raised her arms towards the fireball.

_The element of fire, obey the one that commands you._

Hakuma caught the jutsu in her bare hands, much to the opponent's disbelief, and threw it back at him with twice the force. Chakra surged through her fingertips as the fireball was propelled forward, catching its original master in its wake.

Madara, apparently having an easy time, suddenly laughed. "Behold the power of the Gobi, the Five Tailed demon spirit!" he cried to those around him, pulling his sword out of another victim's body.

Itachi paused in his battle with wide eyes to watch the mysterious woman that he had before deemed harmless. _What on earth…?_

"Hakuma!" he yelled over to her as he continued to fight. "You're a jinchuuriki?"

He heard her laugh weakly. Deflecting a shuriken with a kunai in hand, she called in reply, "Not quite!" Dispatching her opponent, Hakuma ran to the Uchiha's side and proceeded to fight alongside him. She glanced at him for a brief moment and smiled, her blue eyes glinting in the moonlight.

"My name is really Houkou. I am not a jinchuuriki, but the Bijuu. The demon itself."

"A Bijuu…" _How is that even possible?_

Itachi slashed a fellow Uchiha's throat and watched coldly as he fell to the ground. Hakuma had no idea just how much turmoil the ANBU's heart had to have gone through to be able to kill his own brethren without so much as a grimace.

The remaining Uchiha began to retreat down the streets, seeing the trio as a threat too great to handle alone. Itachi stared at Hakuma through the corner of his eye and murmured, "We'll talk later."

The white haired demon was smiled once more. "Whatever you desire, Itachi-sama."

He nodded, then turned to Madara. "I have other business in other parts of this area. You and Hakuma go get the rest." He pointed down the road in the direction of the retreating Uchiha.

"Your parents?" Madara guessed, swinging his katana playfully in a full circle. Itachi gave him yet another scowl before running down the path on the right. Hakuma looked on sadly. Madara then strolled up to her, and they walked calmly down the opposite path that led to the leftover Uchiha. "Looks like we've got the cleanup job, huh?"

"_Cleanup_ isn't the word I would use…"she sighed, pushing some stray blood-splattered shuriken out of her path with the platform of her geta shoes. She then looked at him questioningly. "You seem quite happy, Master Madara."

"Yes, quite," he agreed, using his sword as a walking stick of sorts. "I've gotten my revenge. That part of my musings will be satisfied when we catch up with the strays up ahead."

"_That part_, Master?"

"Of course, I still want revenge against the Senju clan." Madara replied conversationally. "But the time isn't right. I will make the Senju pay… eventually…"

"And when will that day come, Madara-sama?" the disguised demon asked innocently. Catching on to her reference of a day long ago, Madara laughed, but suddenly became serious, a gloved hand rising to rub at his chin.

"…That might actually be predictable, Hakuma."

She looked at his masked face questioningly.

…..

…..

The first thing that Hakuma noticed was that all the stars had disappeared from the night sky.

She and her master had just finished dispatching the remainder of the clan, and were waiting for Itachi to join them. He was late. They hid in the forest outside the Konoha village boundary wall. Madara stood with his back against a thick tree trunk with his arms crossed, much like when they were in the storage room earlier. Hakuma, meanwhile, stood in the clearing, staring up at the starless sky and praying for Itachi's safety.

She looked down at her clothes and saw spots of blood along the sleeves, tainting the pure white with the sin of murder. She shivered and looked up at the moon, lonely in the horizon.

_The moon…_

A sudden noise broke her reverie.

"Someone's coming." she whispered.

"Relax," Madara assured her. He pointed to his eyehole. "It's just Itachi. I can sense it."

Just as he foretold, a figure broke out of the trees and landed in the clearing. Raven hair fell down the sides of Itachi's face as he walked toward Hakuma. Relief flooded her senses, but was suddenly replaced by fear when he staggered. The demon rushed forward and caught the exhausted shinobi in her arms. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly, carefully holding him against her bosom.

"….I…"

She held him gently, like a mother would a child. He shifted, burying his face into her shoulder as they sat in the grass.

"…I couldn't do it…"

"What do you mean?" Madara asked, a serious tone to his voice. Hakuma had not realized that he had come out of his hiding spot and was now standing behind her.

"I couldn't kill him…" he whispered, muffled by Hakuma's shoulder.

"Who, Itachi-sama?"

His grip tightened on her arm as he replied softly, "My little brother." As Madara scoffed behind her, Hakuma held the now-missing nin a little tighter. "I…. I love him too much…"

_To love too much… _Hakuma understood that concept. She had loved too much once, early in her life. That was how she got the hindering wound in her chest that continued to haunt her today.

"But he's safe now," Itachi continued softly. "I asked the Third Hokage to protect him. And to never tell him the truth behind this night."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just kill him?" Madara questioned. "He's going to hate you for the rest of his life. Is that really okay?"

Itachi shook his head, his forehead brushing against Hakuma's neck. "It's fine." he replied. "If trading his love for his hate is the most effective means to make him stronger in this world, then so be it."

"He will want to kill you."

"…My ideal death would be by his hand."

Hakuma's heart was beating solemnly for him at that very moment. It wasn't fair to Itachi. Here he was, sacrificing everything for the sake of the world, and the only person he loves will hate him and want to kill him? He was going to be deemed a traitor and hated by not only his beloved brother, but by the country, by the entire world that he gave everything to save! He deserved more than that, surely!

It was her turn to shake her head as she held the Uchiha as comfortingly as she could.

"You are not alone, Itachi-sama," she whispered into his ear. "I will always be with you."

"…What?"

Madara crossed his arms again. "I'm giving Hakuma to you, boy," he said. "I know she'll be of more use to you than to me. However, once a master, always a master." He grimaced, perhaps already missing her company in the years that would be lonely without her presence. Ever since they had met, she had always been at his side. "I'm giving you the Five Tailed Bijuu that can control the elements! You better be thankful!"

"I will do my best," Hakuma said, stroking the back of Itachi's head. "I'll take care of you, do whatever you want me to… and I'll love you no matter what…"

"…I don't want you to love me, Hakuma. After what I've done, I'm a monster..."

"Then what does that make me?" she thought out loud, smiling sadly against his hair. "Gomen," she apologized. "But I can't help it."

Itachi's arms moved to loosely encircle her waist. "Sorry.." he murmured. "But, like this… just a little longer…"

Hakuma knew that she should enjoy this moment with him while it lasted, for she knew that it would never happen again. He did not want her love, although she was more than willing to give everything for him. As she stroked his soft, dark hair, she looked at Madara over her shoulder. Her former master was gazing up into the night and looking at the moon, isolated in the sky. She looked as well, and she could not help but think of Itachi as that moon, standing alone against the world, the only light in the distant horizon.

_Uchiha_ _Itachi…shine the brightest in the nighttime sky just like the moon… Use your solitary light to illuminate the path for others…_

…_Guide us to the future…_

…...

End Chapter 5

Augh, it got all cheesy at the end…! Urg...

I hope that Hakuma actually _being _a tailed beast isn't Mary Sue-ish. (crosses fingers) I did some research, and yeah, the Gobi _does_ have the power to control the elements. It was pretty vague, so I just made up some jutsu for Hakuma to do that hopefully made sense. I didn't bother naming the jutsu, although I'll probably have to do that for identification purposes later. The article I was reading also had some backstory on the Gobi, so I'm going to tie that in with Hakuma's past. Somehow. Someday. D:


	6. One Day

A/N: Once again, sorry for the long wait. I wouldn't like me, either.

MadaraXHakuma-ness in this chapter, as it's time to say goodbye to Madara for the time being. The chapter mainly focuses on them and their relationship.

Before anyone asks, _Goshujin-sama_ means master.

Note: Houkou and Hakuma are the same person (I included Houkou's name last chapter, I think). As a Bijuu, Hakuma was male, but the body she occupies now is female. She and Itachi will have their talk next chapter. Oh, fun...

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, unless I'm Kishimoto-sensei under the guise of a fangirl that couldn't keep her OC to herself. But because Kishimoto-sensei is male, and the fact that he could easily insert an OC into Naruto (as they are _all_ his OCs), that is very much impossible.

…

* * *

Master

…...

…...

_We'll meet again someday._

…...

…...

_How long had it been?_

_Days, months, years? He didn't know. All he knew was that he was alone, and that he was in pain. The great throbbing emanating from his chest cavity was overwhelming, paralyzing him on the spot. Too weak to heal himself, yet too weak to go get help, he had been taking refuge within a great tree near a volcano for who knows how long now. His sense of time had withered away as he had, leaving him in an unending state of nothingness with only the rhythmic spikes of pain to remind him that he was still alive._

_His memory was jumbled and fuzzy as he tried to recall how he had gotten the hindering wound in the first place. His mind flashed memories of a desecrated village that had served as a battlefield, of explosions and incredible chakra flaring like raging fire... of scarlet fur and piercing golden eyes that pinned him down with an intense, unforgiving gaze, and a deep, growling voice that hissed menacingly at him..._

"_You brought this upon yourself, Houkou. It is time to pay the price for your insolence."_

_Youko. Kyuubi. _

_The hulking, snarling form of his brother looming over him, preparing to finish him off once and for all, haunted his dreams whenever he slipped into rare, fleeting moments of sleep. That's right, he remembered now. He had attacked Youko alongside another brother, Nekomata. He and Nekomata had hoped that their combined power would be enough to defeat Youko, but they were very much mistaken. The Nine Tails had certainly lived up to his reputation as the King of Bijuu, throwing the other two around like rag dolls, seeing the fight with his siblings as just another way of becoming even more powerful._

_Houkou didn't even remember why he attacked Youko in the first place. He was sure that it hadn't been out of spite; he was actually quite fond of the fox demon, as he was fond of all their siblings in one way or another. Nekomata (he disappointingly could not recall what had happened to the cat after the battle) had liked him, too. Maybe they attacked to protect him from fighting something. But Youko was strong enough to protect himself from just about anything. What could possibly hurt him? The only thing in the world that was as powerful as Youko..._

… _was Youko himself._

_As Houkou came upon an important realization, he suddenly sensed another presence. Snapping out of his memories, he strained himself to concentrate, feeling waves of chakra pulsating from the being... a human, it seemed._

_He was genuinely surprised. Humans don't usually have such a great amount of chakra._

_A shudder went through him as he felt the human break through the barrier around his tree sanctuary. How could a mere mortal find him? Or better yet, why were they looking for him in the first place? Perhaps to finish him off? With the state he was in now and the sheer power he had sensed before, the human could easily do just that._

_As the being approached, Houkou realized that he welcomed the thought of death. No Bijuu, as far as he knew, had ever died before. But death had to be better than where he was now, right? Alone, defenseless, injured... Even if death was just an empty void, at least he wouldn't hurt anymore._

_He didn't even flinch as a hand, which seemed so incredibly small to him, began to pet his white, blood-matted fur._

"_Such a poor creature," a voice, male sounding, crooned. "Much too beautiful to be reduced to such a state..."_

_Houkou opened his eyes slowly in curiosity at the newcomer. Beautiful? He snorted to himself. That was a new one. _

_The human wore layers of red plated armor. A warrior, no doubt. His hair was long and inky black in color, trailing down his back and yielding to the contours of his body. A gloved hand continued to stroke his paw as the human tilted his head to look up at him. Houkou realized that the human was currently in his prime, a youthful but battle worn face being revealed to him. He also supposed that the smaller being was rather good looking, as far as humans went, anyway._

_His cobalt eyes met a scarlet one, its twin being shielded by a shock of black hair. He found himself to be fascinated by that eye, picking out three black dots surrounding the pupil. That was certainly unusual. He felt the source of the immense chakra he had sensed earlier had came from that eye. It was... captivating._

"_Who... are you...?" Houkou whispered, his voice raspy and dry from years of misuse. _

_The human's face broke out into a smile, pleased at being acknowledged. "Uchiha Madara, at your service," he said, stepping back and performing a playful mock bow._

"_At my... service?" Houkou was confused. Was it his service to put him out of his misery? The man laughed before returning to pet the fur of his paw again._

"_I'm here to help you, Five Tails Bijuu," he said. "Lord knows you need it."_

_Houkou sighed, acknowledging that the human was indeed correct, but growled as a spike of pain shot through his body. Noticing his discomfort, Madara asked, "You haven't been able to heal the wound that the Kyuubi dealt to you?"_

"_How... do you.. know?"_

"_The battle that you and the Two Tails had with the Kyuubi is a legend where I come from."_

_Houkou wrinkled his nose. A legend? Much time had indeed passed, then..._

_Despite Houkou's musing, Madara continued, "I heard of that legend when I was a child. I had always wondered if it was true." He grinned up at the dog demon. "I'm not disappointed."_

_Houkou didn't understand what was so exciting about seeing a disabled Bijuu, but he was pleased nonetheless. After so many years of solitude, it was nice to be back in agreeable company._

"_You said... you... help?" It was becoming harder for him to form coherent sentences._

_Madara nodded, his smile unfaltering. "I can give you a new body, if you want," he said. "You won't be in such pain any longer; you'll be able to move freely once more. And it must be difficult to be alone for such a long time, surely. If you accept my offer, you won't be alone again."_

_A new body? Companionship? Houkou thought it sounded too good to be true, as nothing came for free. He wondered what was the price he would have to pay._

"_What... do you want from me?" He rasped. He didn't have anything of value, but Madara looked up at him knowingly._

"_Serve myself and my family, the Uchiha Clan," the man told him, unblinking. _

_That single red eye bore into his own, and he found that he was unable to look away. _

"_Serve us, and we will give you what you need."_

…_..._

…_..._

The morning had come quickly. Too quickly, in Hakuma's opinion.

After Itachi had collected himself the previous night, the trio had run for quite a long time to put some distance between them and those who could have possibly been sent to retrieve the young Uchiha. At some time after midnight, they stopped in the middle of a dense forest. Madara had deemed it too risky to go into the nearby town, as scouts from Konoha could be sent there and their group was not very inconspicuous in the first place. "People can notice the smallest of things," Madara had warned. Itachi had been too exhausted to object, while Hakuma didn't care. She had been with the Uchiha founder long enough to have anticipated all sorts of precautions he might take. She was more comfortable in the forest, anyway; she had lived outdoors for much of her life, always on the move (not counting her disabled days, of course). Especially ever since she joined Madara.

While the two Uchiha rested, she had spent most of the sleepless night thinking about her now former master. Yes, she was already quite attached to Itachi and very much looked forward to serving him, but Madara was many firsts for her. He was something akin to a first love for his servant, making her feel all sorts of emotions that she had never felt as a full-blown demon. It had certainly been confusing for her at first, but she soon realized that along with a human body, he had given her human feelings as well, if that were indeed possible. Whether that was a good or bad thing, she didn't know, but she had grown to love the Uchiha that had helped her so long ago. It much easier to serve him as a willing servant than as a slave bound by a contract.

Hakuma had been staring at Madara, who was laying nearby, as she thought. Although she could not see if his eyes were closed, the slow but steady rise and fall of his chest indicated to her that he was asleep. She tried to envision his unmasked face in her mind, the very first thing she had seen of the outside world after so many years, the face that had greeted her with a smile when she was hurting.

… A part of her would always be with that man.

…...

…...

Madara decided to separate from their group.

After seeing Hakuma's face after the announcement, Itachi gave them space. Although he was personally glad to be rid of the man, he understood that Madara had been a major piece of Hakuma's life, so he knew that saying goodbye would be important to her. He leaned against the trunk of a tree while the other two stood together nearby, both silhouetted by the early morning sun. He thought that he would be far enough to give them privacy, but soon discovered that he was still within earshot.

"I will miss you, Madara-sama..." Hakuma was saying. Her voice was sad.

"And I will miss you, Hakuma-chan," Madara replied.

A long silence followed. Itachi watched them stand awkwardly, both looking at the ground at their feet and not meeting the other's eyes. It was odd to see the two, whom he figured had known each other for quite some time, at a loss for words.

The quiet was broken by a snort from Madara. "I gave you to him," he said plainly. When Hakuma tilted her head in confusion, he sighed, "So why do I do not like the idea that you're going to be with him from now on?"

Itachi's eyes widened as Madara brought up his gloved hands from his sides to cup her face.

"From the very beginning, I knew that I was going to have to give you up someday," he murmured, caressing her cheek with a thumb. "So why did I think you were going to be mine forever?"

Itachi sensed that the older Uchiha might have been referring to something _other_ than the master/servant relationship the two shared. Despite the tone that suggested something completely different from the latter, Hakuma just smiled.

He found himself becoming bothered by it without knowing why.

The demon brought her hands to the sides of Madara's mask, mimicking his hold on her, and brought their faces together until their foreheads touched. She closed her eyes with a sigh, that smile never leaving her face.

"There will always be a place in my heart for you, my first master," she said softly. Her eyes flickered up to his eye hole. "Always."

They stood like that for a while, just holding each other in silence. From his view, Itachi thought they looked more like a pair of lovers than anything. For him, the situation was extremely... odd. He cleared his throat loudly, making the other two snap back into reality and break apart.

"... So you know where to go, right?" Madara asked after a quiet moment. "I trust that you know what you're doing, for yours and the kid's sake." He jerked his head in Itachi's general direction.

Hakuma nodded. "You won't have to worry about us," she replied. The woman smiled again, but this time, it seemed more sad than happy. "Maybe, if Itachi-sama does not need me for an amount of time... He will let me go see you again."

As Itachi scoffed quietly to himself, Madara nodded as well. Backing away from her, he glanced at the younger Uchiha. The latter looked back at him with a scowl.

"Good luck, kid," he called, disregarding the other's dark expression. "You're going to need all the help you can get if you're going to survive in the world you've entered!"

He jumped up into a tree and turned to look back down at Hakuma. They stared at each other.

"... Goodbye," she whispered, her blue eyes wide as she took in what could be the last image of her first master.

He did not reply, but looked at her one last time before disappearing into the forest treetops.

…...

…...

For the first time in years, Madara was not there.

Hakuma had tried to comprehend what it would be like to be without him, as she had also known that they would part someday, but the weight of the loss did not fully register until he was truly gone. Standing among the trees and staring up at the morning light breaking through the leaves overhead, she felt... empty...

"Hakuma-chan."

Itachi's voice startled her out of her thoughts. How could she forget? She had Itachi now. He had just lost his family; she would see Madara again someday, as long as he was still alive (she did not worry about him dying; he was certainly capable of protecting himself). She felt ashamed, wallowing in her own sadness without considering his greater loss first. It was her responsibility to take care of him; she was determined to put him ahead of herself.

"Yes, Goshujin-sama?" the demon asked, putting a bright smile on her face as she turned to her new master. Itachi, who had been walking towards her, had a surprised expression on his face when she looked at him. She was confused. "What's wrong?"

"You're..." He made the motion of touching his cheek.

Hakuma reached up to touch her own cheek and was startled to feel wetness. She realized that she was crying. Biting her lip, she dabbed at the tears with the bloodstained sleeve of her kimono.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, knowing that he had seen right through her smile. "I didn't realize..." Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Are you alright?"

Realizing what she meant, Itachi glanced down at the grass below them, not meeting her eyes.

"... I'll be fine," he replied, his voice soft in her ears.

…...

…...

…...

Joining a criminal organization was one of the last things Itachi thought he'd ever do.

But there he was, following Hakuma to the base of a group that called themselves Akatsuki. After expressing his desire to keep protecting Konoha despite his criminal status, and his concern that Madara would continue to plot against said village, his new servant informed him of Akatsuki – an organization founded by Madara himself that was made up of powerful, renegade ninja. If he joined, he would be able to keep tabs on the older Uchiha and his organization, as well as protect his village from the background.

When inquired as to why Hakuma was so willing to share such information about her former master with him, she had just smiled and said, "_You_ are my main concern now."

Although he would not admit it out loud, it was comforting to the teenager to be sure that Hakuma's devotion was solely his, and not shared between himself and Madara. He could only imagine what the man had accomplished during the years that he and the Five Tailed Gobi were together, and what he _could_ have accomplished if she had been with him any longer...

Hakuma had not told him exactly where the Akatsuki base was located, only that it was in one of the lower shinobi countries. Although it was one that bordered the Fire Country, it would still take some time to get there; the Fire was quite large, after all.

"Just trust me, Master."

With that assurance, they began their first journey together.

…...

…...


End file.
